The present invention is directed to an improved binder for carpeting and more particularly to an improved support binder to be used for holding carpets and area rugs onto floors or other carpets.
The present invention is an improvement over the binder disclosed in Ward's U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,649 and Ward's U.S. Pat. No. 4,405,668 which are owned by the same entity which owns this application, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
When laying down wall-to-wall carpeting, or when placing an area rug on the floor or over other carpeting, pads and cushions are often placed beneath the rugs or carpets to improve the wear and tear on the carpet or rug. Over the years, a number of such pads and cushions have been used to accomplish this purpose. Examples of some of these earlier pads and cushions are disclosed in Langerfeld German Utility Model No. 7,124,118 and Hoopengarden's U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,557,774 and 4,797,170. A number of problems arise with the use of these earlier pads and cushions.
Some installation systems require additional adhesives to be applied either to the floor or to the pad at the installation site and in still other systems the carpets are not removable and reusable without damage to the pad, floor or carpet.
In some glue-down installations, there is danger of toxic fumes or odors which sometimes produce a "sick building" syndrome. Other glue-down installations are very slow since it is necessary to determine the proper glue to be used and the amount of glue used, and the glue must be placed on either the floor, or pad, or carpet. There is also the danger that some glue may go on the face of the carpet and damage it. Moreover, with glue installation open time is required to cure the glue and the carpet cannot be used immediately because of this. In glue-down installations, the carpet cannot be adjusted with ease which is a particular drawback when patterned carpet is installed and must be matched at the seams. In glue-down installations, removal of the carpet or pad is expensive and floors must be refinished in order to be recovered and be used with a different carpet.
In other types of installation, tackless strips are required. In such installations the carpet is placed over a pad and stretched over the tackless strips. Only a professional using special tools can do this.
Another problem is delamination and wrinkling of the carpet which sometimes occurs with certain pads. Delamination occurs when the carpet backing separates from the carpet face.
Also, with the tackless and glue-down methods, if the carpet gets wet it cannot be easily removed to be dried and may even be permanently damaged.
Another problem with the prior art systems is that they cannot be made rigid, and so the carpet or tile is not dimensionally stable.
Also, with these prior art systems one side does not have greater adhesive strength than the other side.
Some additional installation problems arise from cushions or pads consisting of a web reinforcement interposed between two layers of solid foam backing over which a pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied. These do not have the ability to breathe since they are solid and they can also not be easily removed from the floor.
Furthermore, since existing cushions or pads are solid and do not have the capability of permitting air to flow through, it is difficult for heat to pass therethrough and moisture does not easily evaporate thus becoming trapped under the pad and creating mildew.